Russian Lines Give Ground Near Lyman as Ukrainian Counterattacks Bite Across Multiple Fronts

Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops around the Lyman-Sloviansk sector while launching successful counterattacks across several other parts of the front, with Russian sources acknowledging that Moscow no longer holds positions it previously claimed, according to the Institute for the Study of War’s (ISW) September 8 assessment.

The clearest signs of Ukrainian progress emerged east of Lyman in the Donetsk region.

A Russian military blogger acknowledged that Russian forces no longer hold positions east of Lyman, west of Ivanivka, in northwestern Zarichne and in northeastern Yampil.

ISW had either previously assessed Russian advances in those areas or recorded Russian claims that Moscow’s troops were present there.

ISW said Ukrainian forces have recently advanced or maintained positions in the Sloviansk direction, although analysts cautioned that there is still insufficient public evidence to determine the full scale of the Ukrainian counterattacks around Lyman.

Ukrainian troops have also continued rejecting Russian claims that Moscow advanced into Sviatohirsk.

Ukrainian military officials said Russian forces are concentrating additional troops and increasing assault activity around Lyman, but repeated Ukrainian strikes have prevented them from making sustained progress.

The fighting remains mixed elsewhere in the Donetsk region. Russian troops recently advanced in central Kostiantynivka and continue attempting infiltration missions around the city.

In the Dobropillia sector, however, Russian forces conducted offensive operations on September 7 and 8 without securing new gains.

Russia recorded clearer progress northwest of Pokrovsk. Geolocated footage reviewed by ISW indicates Russian forces recently seized Myrne and nearby Vasylivka.

Russian troops also carried out limited assaults in the Novopavlivka direction on September 7 and 8 but failed to advance.

Ukraine meanwhile continued counterattacking farther north. In the Sumy region, Russian forces maintained offensive operations on September 7 and 8 but made no confirmed gains as Ukrainian troops struck back.

Russian sources reported Ukrainian counterattacks around Kindrativka and Novokostiantynivka, both north of Sumy.

A similar pattern unfolded around Kupyansk and Borova in the Kharkiv region. Russian forces continued attacking in both sectors but did not achieve new confirmed advances as Ukrainian troops counterattacked.

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Russian sources also reported Ukrainian counterattacks near Zapadne, north of Kupyansk. One Russian military source claimed Moscow’s command is already preparing for winter operations around Kupyansk by compiling lists of personnel expected to remain in the city.

The source assessed that the preparations suggest Russian commanders themselves do not expect the battle for Kupyansk to be resolved before the end of fall.

Earlier, reports emerged that Ukrainian forces have restored control over nearly the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, with only the area around the settlement of Dachne still under Russian occupation as fighting continues.

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